How to cope with depression

Puffyprue · Oct 31, 2009, 06:43 AM

even this nothing but i want to share it with you guys ..i hope it will helps

source : http://www.wikihow.com/Cope-with-Depression
How to Cope with Depression

There is always hope as there is help available for depression.

Depression is a terrible affliction in our society. Approximately 16% of the population have suffered from depression at least once in their lives and it is expected that by the year 2020, it will be the second leading cause of disability behind heart disease. Although medications are often prescribed to treat depression, you may want to explore other options before taking this route. However, if you are currently suffering acutely, you should not feel as though you need to wait to seek a psychiatrist for a consultation.

Steps

1. Determine if you really are depressed, and what the problem is. Do you lack motivation? Do you have trouble enjoying things that you used to? Do you cry a lot? Does it seem that nothing is really worth doing? Do you feel that your life is meaningless? Do you feel confused and directionless in life? If so, it is possible that you are sinking into the psychological quicksand of clinical depression. Depression doesn't have to have a "reason", either. You may be depressed because of something that happened to you (an assault, death of a loved one, etc), but depression can also strike random people out of the blue. It doesn't have to run in your family. It doesn't matter if you're a bouncing-off-the-walls happy kind of person or if you've always come across as "Dark". Nobody is completely immune to depression, and clinical depression is a medical imbalance, which means that there doesn't always have to be a concrete reason for why it's there in the first place. You may cry for no reason. You may feel alone in the world though you belong to a loving family. Depression can strike anyone, so don't consider yourself immune to it.
2. Get plenty of sleep In the modern world, there is an increasing problem of people not getting enough sleep. Practice good sleep hygiene and try to get at least eight hours. Depression and anxiety of any sort can interfere with sleep, so this may or may not be possible. A common side effect of depression is in fact insomnia (trouble sleeping). If so, work out a good routine and try to determine what can help you sleep. Conversely, do no spend exorbitant amounts of time in bed either as the lack of activity will make things worse.
3. Get out of bed in the morning. If this is something you are struggling with, ask a friend to call you in the morning to make sure you are awake. Some people force themselves to do some mandatory activity in the morning such as walking across the room to turn off the alarm and on the way back running into their clothes for the day or their bath towel to take a shower.
4. Exercise. A recent study showed exercise to be as effective as Zoloft (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or SSRI) in treating depression.[1] Exercise is very good for body and mind, because it releases a natural anti-depressant chemical in your brain. It's the best kind of remedy because it's not a pill and it's natural, and it's also healthy. Depression can make it hard to work up the motivation and energy to do it, but it is well worth it. You may find long walks easier than other forms of exercise - put one foot in front of the other, and walk as far as you are able. You might work up to even 1 or 2 hours every day, but start off with shorter walks. Even if you can only manage a few minutes to start, that is still a good starting point. You can also try group sports with friends, to help you feel motivated and included, or something that helps express extreme emotions (running, boxing, etc). Work up some form of routine and stick to it. Even from the first day, you'll see the positive impacts. Best of all there are no negative side effects and a healthier body will improve your self-image.
5. Watch your favorite comedy, talk with people who make you laugh, visit your childhood hangouts or do anything that helps you remember happier times. Positive memories can influence the brain when they are recalled and relived.
6. Think about happy thoughts. Focus on the details.
7. Go out and do something you enjoy. Buy yourself something nice, get a new haircut, or eat a good meal.
8. To get your mind off your own problems try to think of some way (big or small) you can help someone else. Keeping busy with other activities will distract you from focusing on your depressive state. You'll feel good after doing a good deed, or at least distracted.
9. Talk to friends or anyone who will give you support. If you're feeling really down, have them make a list of your best qualities. Other people who have gone through a similar experience are also good to talk with since they'll have first hand experience of something that is difficult for some people to imagine.
10. Find positive outlets and channels for your emotions: music, writing, draw, design, or whatever tickles your fancy.
11. Don't compare yourself to other people. Compare yourself to you at your lowest point in the past and think about what's better now. Pat yourself on the back for it. If you think you're at your lowest point ever, then imagine one small thing (the tiniest thing you can think of) that you know you can make better. And then move on from there.
12. Don't obsess about it or be hard on yourself if you still feel depressed or aren't happy. Nothing's more depressing than being angry at yourself for being depressed. This can turn into a feedback loop of hopelessness and despair and is critical if someone is doing this that they break that cycle.
13. Change your life. Often times depression results from a deep-rooted desire to be in a different situation than you are right now. If you don't like your parents, move out of your house. If you don't like your city, move to a different one. If you don't like your job, find a new one.
14. Avoid poisonous people. Although you may show your unhappiness by acting depressed, others may reveal it through negativity, treating others badly, exercising power over others, insulting others, etc. Also avoid other depressed people. Depression is contagious. It may be hard to find happy people who are willing to help you out of your funk, but it's worth it.
15. Seek counseling. Talking about what you are going through with a trained expert can really help. High school counselors and University counselors are paid the same amount no matter how many people they see, so they have no incentive to keep you coming back to them. Many people are resistant to the idea of talking about their problems but everyone who's done it knows how much it helps. Simply bouncing ideas and memories off of someone like a trained professional communicator can be beneficial. Seeing a counselor or therapist also includes the added benefit of feeling as if you are doing something to combat your depression.
16. Pray If you believe in a religious faith, you may find solace in praying, meditating, or reading holy texts. Consult a local religious leader with any questions. If you are not religious, try reading a book of philosophy, or even a self-help book.
17. Seek medical advice from a trusted family doctor if you have persistent depression. A doctor may prescribe an anti-depressant if appropriate. However, keep in mind that it may be more appropriate to seek the help of a psychiatrist, as family doctors are not as equipped to correctly diagnose and treat clinical depression, or to distinguish between it and disorders which may display similar symptoms but require different treatment.
18. Diet & Nutrition: Ensure that you are including in your diet healthy foods and proper liquids. Too often than not we either neglect eating all together when we are depressed as well as drinking fluids or we eat too much of our favorite manufactured, chemically engineered foods with no nutritional value as well as inadvertently robbing us of our much needed nutrients to survive all the same with drinking too much of our favorite sodas, coffees, 'fake' juice like drinks or turning to alcohol to ease our depressed mood. The depressed person (testimony of personal experience) doesn't have to make drastic changes to their diet but just adding in a few will make a world of difference and the effects are amazingly positive and instantaneous. Add in some of your favorite fruits or salads. Try ice cold water with a bit of lemon if you have trouble drinking water. Even one glass of water is helpful. The results will be instant and you'll be amazed wondering why you didn't do it sooner.

Tips

* Keep Breathing. Remind yourself—if you're breathing, you're winning. There is a path out of your depression, but step one is always: Keep Breathing.
* If you are part of a religious group, talk to your fellow members or leader for guidance.
* Spend one hour out in the sunlight every day.
* Avoid depressing movies, songs, and art.
* If you have thoughts of suicide or self-injury, get professional help immediately. If nothing's working, avoiding help can only be detrimental.
* Keep your surrounding warm and well-lit during the day. Prefer a well-lit room or open window curtains/blinds during the day.
* Stay busy with work that keeps your brain occupied. A recent study has proven that when you are wholly focused on the task at hand, you are physically unable to worry or think about your troubles. And staying productive is the best way to prove to yourself that you're not worthless and things can really change.
* In some women, depression may be caused (or worsened) by low hormone levels, most commonly progesterone. Progesterone helps keep serontonin levels from dropping too low, and low serotonin can cause depression. Doctors can test for low progesterone and prescribe it (though many doctors are unaware of the link with depression); it is even available without prescription, which gives you an idea how safe it is when used according to directions. Indications that a depression may be progesterone related are: symptoms get worse in the two weeks before menstruation, during perimenopause/menopause, or after giving birth. Anxiety-depression is most commonly seen, sometimes accompanied by severe mood swings and insomnia; some women may get more headaches/migraines. NOTE: synthetic progestins such as Provera, medroxyprogesterone, DepoProvera, and birth control pills can make these symptoms worse instead of better; when I refer to progesterone I mean that exact natural hormone specifically, not its "substitutes". Progesterone is available as Progest cream (a good brand) without prescription, and as Prometrium capsules with prescription; compounding pharmacies also make various dose forms (such as Progesterone 50 mg/ml Lotion, compounded).
* With all of the advice given here: REMEMBER that it does not have to be done in drastic measures. One glass of water. One apple. 15min in the sun. A half hour or more earlier to bed than before or half hour or more earlier getting out of bed. A short walk to the....? end of the block, walking a little further into the store by parking farther away... just any of these common sense activities and lifestyle additions/changes that EVERYONE needs to do in order to be more healthy & active will help the average person but more dramatically, will help the depressed person.
* If you have problems to grant yourself things or if you even think, you might not be worth to live on, try to think of yourself when you were a child. Don´t you think, this child would have deserved all the benevolence in the world for its future?
* Try and go outside. Take a walk and think about why you've became different than the person you originally were.Go over the good things in your life that you have.(ex. You have the ability to walk,breathe, able to see the world and that you have the power to change it).
* Listen to positive music. Listen to music that you can relate to but has a more positive moral to the particular song. In its own way it gives you support and comfort you may lack else were.
* Smile. It WILL make you happier.
* Instead of trying to make yourself FEEL better, focus your energy on concrete ways IMPROVING your situation.

Warnings

* Never, ever, ever let yourself go it alone. A lot of people try to hide their depression and negative emotions from others, including family and friends, in an attempt to ignore what is happening to them, or because they don't want to be a burden/hassle to anybody. If this is you, then remember that there are people out there who love and care about you, people who have been trained to help you, and people who are in the same situation as you. Although depression does an excellent job of making you feel unworthy of care and completely alone, it's all untrue. Don't ever try to cover up feeling this way, because it instantly makes it a whole lot worse. Depression can be helped so much just by knowing that the people around you are trying to help you and will always be there.
* Leaving depression to work its terrors in the hopes that time will heal it all is the worst possible thing to do. Most, if not all types of depression will simply intensify over time, taking over your life. If you realize you may be or are definitely suffering from depression, get help immediately - by talking to someone or seeing a professional. Remember it's never too late to get help, either - if you've been battling depression for a year, it doesn't mean nobody will listen when you speak up.
* Depression can often lead to self harm and suicide. Although both of these may seem like the only possible options when you're at rock bottom, remember all the positive outlets and choices - talking to people, getting support, seeking professional help. Don't become another statistic in today's society - help yourself fight it, by getting help. At the very least, think of all the others you will hurt by leaving them behind.

Oct 31, 2009, 09:01 AM

(puffy)))))))))))))) thats a wonderful article ((ty)))))
this part is great
(( Never, ever, ever let yourself go it alone. A lot of people try to hide their depression and negative emotions from others, including family and friends, in an attempt to ignore what is happening to them, or because they don't want to be a burden/hassle to anybody. If this is you, then remember that there are people out there who love and care about you, people who have been trained to help you, and people who are in the same situation as you. Although depression does an excellent job of making you feel unworthy of care and completely alone, it's all untrue. Don't ever try to cover up feeling this way, because it instantly makes it a whole lot worse. Depression can be helped so much just by knowing that the people around you are trying to help you and will always be there.
* Leaving depression to work its terrors in the hopes that time will heal it all is the worst possible thing to do. Most, if not all types of depression will simply intensify over time, taking over your life. If you realize you may be or are definitely suffering from depression, get help immediately - by talking to someone or seeing a professional. Remember it's never too late to get help, either - if you've been battling depression for a year, it doesn't mean nobody will listen when you speak up.))))

good job (puffy)))))))))))))))))))

Puffyprue · Oct 31, 2009, 09:43 AM

thank you ((((((((((((muffy)))))))))))
i really wish it would help people even just a little

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